As world leaders get down to business at the G-20 summit today, police here are bracing themselves for more violence after demonstrations left one person dead and saw a mob storming a branch of the Royal Bank of Scotland.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and US President Barack Obama are among leaders attending the summit that is expected to resolve the worst global economic crisis since the 1930s.
There were over 80 arrests during yesterday's protests, including four for violent disorder, six public order offences and 11 for possessing police uniform.
A network of campaign groups has organised a series of protests to highlight causes ranging from job cuts, recession, climate change and the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
One person died yesterday after he collapsed during demonstrations near the Bank of England. A protester called the police after he saw the man collapse and stop breathing.
Two police medics broke through the cordon and carried the man to a clear area.
The ambulance arrived six minutes later and took him to hospital just before 8pm, where he was pronounced dead. It is believed that the man died of a heart attack.
"We received a 999 (emergency) call at 7:24 pm (1824 GMT) from a member of the public reporting that a man had fallen over and was unconscious, but was breathing," said the London Ambulance Service.
"At 7:30 pm we were informed by the police that a man at the location had stopped breathing."
A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "The officers took the decision to move him as during this time a number of missiles - believed to be bottles - were being thrown at them".
Today, demonstrations are scheduled at the Stock Exchange, but the main focus will be the ExCeL Centre, where the summit meeting will be held.
Commander Simon O'Brien of the Metropolitan Police warned that there may be more clashes between officers and demonstrators today.
